Brave New World – Another high school book. These two were paired together, probably because they offer two different views of a Utopian society. I enjoyed them both the second time around.

Tesla: Man Out of Time – A long read, dry at times. I found it hard to respect Tesla at times; he seemed to be a genius but had trouble following through on so many great ideas.

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Hard to believe, but this was equal to Kite Runner in my opinion. Not as much heartache in this one though.

Underworld – I really disliked this book; worst book of the year. It was extremely popular when it came out (still is), but I just didn’t get it. I was very disappointed by the end and am turned off Delillo now. Tell me if there’s another one of his that I would like better.

House to House: A Soldier’s Memoir – This was an amazing story. It definitely got my heart racing at times and gave me a whole new level of respect for soldiers in Iraq. It was a tough call between this and The Right Stuff, but I’m giving this best book of the year.

The Right Stuff – Two Wolfe books in a year. This was one of my favorites for the year. I loved the dialog and all the different personalities Wolfe developed.

The World Without Us – A big disappointment, although it was because my expectations were different. I wanted a whole lot more detail about how things will fall apart, and less about how the natural world will evolve in our absence.

The Black Swan – I liked this book, but it was very dense at times. He was quite funny in some parts, which was unexpected.

The Murder Book – Just so-so. Something I read so we could get rid of it without guilt.

John Adams – Great book about an under-appreciated president. Got a little misty at the end when he and Jefferson (SPOILER ALERT!) died.

Under the Banner of Heaven – Not a great effort from Krakauer. There was probably too much to cover in just one book, although he did do a good job explaining a very bizarre faith.

The Lost Symbol – I’ll admit it – I like the Dan Brown books. His style doesn’t really bother me; you know what you’re getting, kind of like a summer popcorn movie. I thought this was a good follow up to one of the best selling books of all time, which is a tough act to follow.

Casino Royale – I was very surprised how much I liked this. Bond has some issues with women, which doesn’t come out as much in the movies. I’ll definitely pick up some others in this series.